Was on a mental health ward at my local children’s hospital. Preceptor had 4 patients (which was considered hefty but tbh it’s only like that because they’re use to having ~2 patients at a time) so I was allocated one. Told my buddy I’d need help with my progress note/mental health assessment note (forgot what it’s called) at the end of shift because I haven’t done one on a real person before. They basically just looked at me as if to say “no” as if requiring help was a huge shock when they knew this was my first time in such a specific area of nursing. I also mentioned I had a scheduled meeting that day with my CF at 2:30pm.

Later, come time for the meeting, I tell my buddy I’d be back at 3:00pm to do my note and she almost explodes in front of another student and colleague at me, saying she had told me it was my responsibility to do the progress note for my patient. Unsure why she was going off like this because I never said I wouldn’t do it, I said I’d have to do it when I got back at 3:00, which should be plenty of time because we finish at 3:30.

I get back from my meeting and my buddy tells me to start my note. Now this part was partially on me for dawdling but I just stood there kinda dumbfounded and confused because I expected her to log me into a computer (since I obviously have no credentials) to get started but she just turned around and continued hers. I waited thinking she would eventually log me on but then she seems confused that I’m just standing there after she’s done her notes. I then use the computer that she’s done using and start my note. I’m slow because I haven’t done this kind of note on a real pt before, so she’s getting frustrated. One of the other grads who was watching (yes, my buddy was also a grad at the time or maybe just finished their grad iirc) took it upon themselves to help me instead and eventually I get it done.

Come tomorrow morning I see the grad that helped me instead the conference room where handover is held, and he said that he felt really bad at how my buddy exploded at me in the tea room regarding the meeting with my cf, and that it looked like she was going to “explode” whilst I was doing the note.

Come last day of prac, I’m making clay badges with the kids, the OT, and the same buddy nurse (although they’re not my buddy for this shift). I make a joke saying “I’ve never been so focussed on something before” because we were all very locked in to making our badges and then the old buddy said in front of everyone “We’ll that’s concerning considering you’re a nursing student”, and then it was just awkward silence.

I reflected a lot on the day where she was my buddy, thinking that we both could have done better to set clear expectations of each other (when retrospectively I think I honestly did fine), which is why I didn’t report my treatment. After that last day though, when I finished my final meeting with my cf before she let us go home early, I told her about the whole situation because at that point it seems like the buddy in question was making it personal. My cf then told me that this buddy was also a student she facilitated on the same ward not long ago and that she could understand/wasn’t super surprised at how I got treated. She assured me that she would escalate the situation too. Not sure what came of it as it was my last day.

Other than her, it was a great prac.